Friday, June 29, 2012

Welcome to ThemeParkOverload.net! I just got back from the Media event for
Superman: Ultimate Flight at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and I have full
coverage of the event! This article will be broken up into two parts. The first
part, which is below, is video coverage from the opening ceremony, a POV of the
ride, and various themed elements throughout the ride. The second part will be a
written report of the ride, including when you’ll experience airtime, if the
ride was rough or smooth, the launch, and other details you’ll want to know!
Watch the video, then scroll down to
read the written review of the ride, Enjoy!

Full Media Day Coverage Video

HD POV of Superman: Ultimate Flight

Interview with Premier Rides Project Engineer Mark Treadwell

Now let’s get to the ride experience, starting with the
restraint system that holds you in place on the ride. Because this ride goes
upside down and doesn't have the full restraints that go over your shoulders, they
use very tight lap bars that are a little uncomfortable. It starts with a
foamy-but-firm lap bar that goes on top of your thighs. This bar is the same
restraint you’d experience on the average coaster that doesn't go upside down.
But because this ride DOES go upside down, you have additional restraints on
your legs. It is a very firm- but-padded bar that pushes your legs against the
seat.

Now for the ride itself. Once you sit down and are quickly
locked into your restraints, you are given the go and launched through the
tunnel. As you pass through the Superman-Emblem shaped tunnel, a set on synchronized lights will beam at you as the train clears the tunnel. (They later
noted that they are planning on adding fog as you fly “faster-than-a-speeding-bullet”
through the tunnel) As you get out of the tunnel, you start approaching the
vertical climb to the top of the coaster. You only reach halfway before you fly
backwards back into the tunnel and halfway into the non-inverting loop. After
hanging there for mere seconds, you are shot through the tunnel once again and
all the way up the vertical climb to the top. As you approach the top, many
were expecting a pop of airtime (when you fly up into your seat and experience
weightlessness). This is true, as when you twist on the vertical climb and
reach the top you are literally thrown from your seat. Due to the firm
restraints, this can be a little uncomfortable. After you reach the top, you
immediately enter the Heartline roll inversion. In the original animation, it
looks like there are brakes once you reach the top. But on the ride, there are
no brakes.

For the Heartline roll, the experience is absolutely
amazing. Record wise, this is the 3rd tallest inversion in the world
at 150ft. But because you only have a lap bar, your upper body is completely
free! As you slowly enter the inversion, your whole body feels like it’s
spinning on a 360 degree axis, upside down, 15 stories in the air. I cannot
rave enough how amazing this feels, and this is the best element of the ride by
far. This is the type of inversion you can’t experience at very many places, as
it’s like hanging upside down on, say, a 150ft tree. But the element is quickly
over and you start to enter the vertical drop into the non-inverting loop.
Right before the loop, there are brakes that hold you momentarily over the
edge, and it really sells the cliff hanger effect. You then twist down
vertically (similar to Top Thrill Dragster’s Drop) and enter the non-inverting
loop. This is the third non-inverting loop in the world, so this is definitely
a pretty unique element that isn't found on many coasters. This element is fun,
but VERY twisty and can make you dizzy fast. You experience a decent amount of
forces while at the bottom of the loop. After you twist over and dive back into
the station, you once again shoot through the station and part-way up the
vertical climb. You then fall back into the station and are stopped fast and
extremely efficiently by the LSM brakes. (The LSM’s are the white strips on the
track in the launch tunnel that send an electrical current to the train to
accelerate it. They also work as the braking system for the train as it
re-enters the station)

Let me just say that overall this ride is absolutely
amazing. The speed, inversions, and dizzy-ing twists really add up to an
amazing ride. The theming throughout the queue line and station are amazing!
When you are outside in line, they have these really awesome 3D signs of comic
book pages that line the queue explaining the story of Superman. And throughout
the exterior ride they have these 20ft flat figurines that showcase characters
from the DC Comics franchise like Lex Luthor Superman, and Bizzaro. Once you
arrive in the station you will see the signature red and blue colors of
Superman along with wallpaper of Superman flying over the city that lines the
station wall. But the experience doesn't just extend to the ride. Once you exit
the attraction they have the “Daily Planet Newspaper and Gifts” gift shop that
sells signature Superman merchandise from the ride. Overall, this is a perfect fit to
Discovery Kingdom’s coaster lineup, and I already can tell this will be a
winner. The amazing elements on the ride mixed with the theming from the park’s
first DC comics themed attraction truly makes the experience
unforgettable. Go on a weekday during
the summer and check this ride out, as it was worth the wait and truly amazing.

Special thanks to Nancy and Charles from the park along with everyone else that
truly made this event incredible. What are you waiting for? Go save the world,
with the help of Superman, on Superman: Ultimate Flight. My name’s Nicholous,
and thanks for reading!